


Dark

by VVSIGNOFTHECROSS



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen, The Last Temptation Of Barry Allen, WTF, that episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VVSIGNOFTHECROSS/pseuds/VVSIGNOFTHECROSS
Summary: After they learn that Barry's been infected by Ramsey, the team try and figure out how to get through to him.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	1. Dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mosylu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mosylu/gifts), [FireSoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireSoul/gifts), [MoonlightShines (Thatkillervibe)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkillervibe/gifts).



**Dark**

  
  


Cisco blinked. His head hurt. He blinked again, and that was when the memory started to come back to hit him in the face. Barry almost dying, Barry his eyes black as night, Barry disappearing in a burst of light. He sat up then. “Shit!” He snarled to himself as his head throbbed with the sudden movement.

He looked around him, Frost and Iris were slowly coming to. Cisco got up and walked over to Frost, she took his outstretched hand and stood up. “You okay?” He whispered.

“No.” Was the curt reply, they were still figuring things out, he and Frost, but he liked to think that they were perhaps coming to a better place.

Cisco nodded, and let go of her hand and walked to Iris. She’d stood up and was looking at the entrance. “He’s gone.” Was all she could say.

“I know.” Cisco replied. Barry was gone, Ramsey had taken over. How were they supposed to stop him now and prevent Crisis at the same time, Cisco didn’t know.

“We’ve got to find him.” Iris said then, and as she moved to the computers, Cisco chanced a look at Frost, who looked at him pointedly.

Cisco hurried over to the computers and said. “Ramsey’s got him. You saw his eyes, you saw the black stuff that came out of him. If we find Ramsey, we find Barry.” How they were going to convince Barry to stop being well, whatever it was he was now, he didn’t know, but they had to try.

“But we haven’t found Ramsey’s hideout. We can’t waste time. We have to find Barry.” Iris said.

“So, what do you propose we do?” Frost asked, coming to stand at Cisco’s side.

“I’ll go back to the Loft. If there’s any trace of Barry left, he’ll come there.” Iris replied.

Cisco looked at Iris, saw the way her jaw was pushed out in that same stubborn manner that her daughter had had, and that her father had, and said. “Iris, if you go back to the Loft and Barry goes there, how are you going to stop him from hurting you?”

Iris sighed, and Cisco noticed how her shoulders sagged, he wanted to curse himself for saying that, but it was true. He knew Barry would never forgive himself if he hurt Iris, and Barry had said that if something happened to him, Cisco was to be team leader, and well, Cisco wanted to protect Iris from something that could hurt her. “Well, that’s a risk we’ll just have to take.” Iris replied and before he could stop her, she had walked out of the cortex and was walking down the hallway.

Cisco watched her go and he desperately wanted the ground to swallow him whole. This was not what he wanted, nor was it something he wanted to deal with. “Aren’t you going to stop her?” Frost asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Cisco shook his head, still looking at the exit of the Cortex. “Why?” Frost asked. “If she goes back to their apartment and Barry goes there, she’s not going to be able to reason with him. He’s not himself, he’s not the Barry we know. Ramsey’s got him.”

Cisco turned around and focused on the computer screens before him. “Then we’re going to have to find Ramsey.”

“How?” Frost demanded now looking over his shoulder. “We’ve not been able to find him until now, what makes you think we’re going to be able to find him now, with Barry gone?”

“I don’t know, okay!” Cisco snapped. “But we’ve got to try.”

Frost snorted and said. “I’ll go and let Joe know.”

Cisco grunted in response and kept his eyes on the computers, typing furiously, hoping against hope that he could stop himself thinking about the way Barry had looked in that moment when they’d realised that Ramsey had won. He stopped typing, and looked at where Frost had been and thought not for the first time, about how much he wished he had his powers back, and how useless he felt without them. He shook his head and buried that thought once more, it wouldn’t do him any good to dwell on it now, nor would it do him any good to think about how his ear had suddenly started hurting once again.


	2. Iris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The people have spoken, and therefore I present a new chapter.

**Chapter 2: Iris**

  
  


Iris got into the car, thankful that she’d ignored Barry’s advice and kept the car in the Star Labs parking lot. She’d always said it would come in useful in a situation like this where she didn’t have Barry to speed her around. She’d just never thought that she’d not have Barry because he’d gone over to the dark side. She closed her eyes. Trying to blot out the image of her husband’s dark eyes and his dark teeth, the unmissable sign of Ramsey’s work. 

Whatever had happened to her husband during his time fighting Ramsey’s blood had contaminated him. She had been trying to prepare herself for losing Barry during Crisis, she’d never stopped to think that she’d lose him to Ramsey. She took a deep shuddering breath, and started the car. She backed out and then straightened. She put it into first gear and then drove off. 

The minute she got out of Star Labs she saw the carnage. There were people screaming and having their bodies contort all around her. Out of sheer panic she locked the car and called Cisco.

“Hello? Is everything okay?” Was Cisco’s immediate question.

“Switch on the news!” Iris barked.

“Why?” Cisco asked.

“Because I think Ramsey’s finally come out of his hiding place. There are people on the streets of Central City being turned into zombies. Just like how Barry and Frost described it at the hospital.” Iris said, as she watched a small girl lurch and contort as Ramsey’s blood took over her body.

“Iris you need to get out of there now!” Frost said coming over the line, sounding anxious. “If they see you, Ramsey will know where you’re going.”

Iris closed her eyes briefly and then opened them. “I know, that’s what I want. I need him to see me, because then maybe Barry will see me.”

“Iris, if you do that, you’re not going to survive!” Cisco said down the line. “That thing in Barry’s body isn’t Barry. It’s Ramsey!”

“I can’t give up on my husband!” Iris snapped. “I’m going to go back to the loft. See if you can find a way to help Barry.” She disconnected the line and said a prayer before driving on. As she turned a corner she saw a police car get destroyed by a beast covered completely in black. She swore, then phoned her dad. “Dad, are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine baby girl. But I don’t think the city is going to be fine. Ramsey’s unleashed all sorts of hell. I’m trying to get in touch with Cecile but I can’t get through. She was at the hospital looking at something.” Dad replied.

“Dad, something’s happened to Barry.” Iris said then, simply because she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He used his blood to save Ralph from Ramsey and I think some of Ramsey’s blood infected him. He’s not himself.”

She heard her dad curse and then he said. “And you’re going to try and find him and turn him back. Iris, be careful.”

Iris was just thankful her dad wasn’t trying to talk her out of this. “I will. I love you.”

“Love you too.” the phone disconnected and Iris kept driving. Soon enough she was in the apartment complex’s car park, she parked the car and then hurried out of the car and into the elevator. She pressed the button and then waited. 

Her phone buzzed, she looked at it and saw a text from Cisco.

_ CCPD just confronted Ramsey, he’s calling himself Bloodwork now-he’s shit at this- The Flash was there. Three officers hurt, but nobody actually saw the Flash, just a black blur. Some people think it’s Zoom! Frost is analysing samples of the blood to see if that might help.  _

_ Stay safe. _

The elevator door pinged, and Iris put her phone back inside, she then walked out and unlocked the apartment door and walked in. She took a deep breath and then heard a whizz and turned around to see a red figure standing before her.

“Barry.” She whispered. Then more loudly. “Barry, I know you’re scared. I know that Crisis has scared you, it’s scared all of us. But you can’t let Ramsey win. Whatever he’s promised you, whatever he’s said he’ll give you for siding with him, it’s a lie. Barry, Ramsey didn’t even what to work to make the world better, he wanted to do everything for himself. We’re a team, Barry, we’re Team Flash. You and I, we work together. We fix things together. So, baby, I just ...I just need you to come back to me. Please,come back to me and we can fix this together.”

The figure in red didn’t turn around so much as run at her. Iris gasped as she heard a darkened voice reply. “There is no Barry, only Bloodwork.” The figure smiled at her, leering at her, before disappearing in a haze of red and black. 

Iris slumped down to the ground, angry and filled with rage at the thing that had come between her and her husband again.

Her phone binged again, and after a time she picked it up and read the message.

_ Blood results came back. Come to lab, we’ve got a solution. _

_ C. _


	3. It Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got something done under 60 chapters. Who knew :P Enjoy this final chapter. If you'd like to see a take on Crisis or more Cisco and Caitlin/Frost, let me know.

**Chapter 3: It Ends**

Cisco stared at his computer and felt something push at his forehead. Or rather internally he felt the push. What it was he didn’t know but it was beginning to annoy him. He blinked and then he heard a voice.

_ “Suppressing your powers was a mistake.” _

_ Cisco turned around and found himself staring at a being that wore blue and gold armour, with the most ridiculous lamb chops he’d ever seen. “Where’ve you come from? The Seventies?” He quipped. _

_ “Suppressing your powers was a mistake.” the figure replied. _

_ “They’re not suppressed, they’re gone.” Cisco replied. “Who are you anyway?” _

_ “You know who I am, Francisco Ramon.” the being said. _

_ Something about the way the figure held himself made Cisco pause. That tone of voice, he’d heard it before, when he’d been considering giving up his powers before Cicada had come and fought him. “The Monitor.” he whispered to himself. “What are you doing here?” He demanded. _

_ “I’ve come to tell you that you can help save Barry Allen. You can save The Flash and ensure he survives the coming crisis.” The Monitor replied. _

_ “How?” Cisco demanded.  _

_ “You must let your power go free.” The Monitor said. _

_ “I don’t have my powers!” Cisco shouted at him frustrated. _

_ “Yes, you do. You know you do. Why else would you be getting so many headaches?” The Monitor replied. _

_ “Because a so called God is trying to talk to me in my head?” Cisco retorted. _

_ “Who said this was happening inside your head?” The Monitor responded. _

_ Cisco went to respond, but before he could there was a beeping sound. _

“The results are done.” He heard Caitlin say.

Cisco blinked. He was still getting used to this switching routine that she and Frost did. And if he were being honest he’d prefer it if she remained this time. “And?” He asked.

“Cisco are you okay?” Caitlin asked. “You look awfully pale.”

“I’m fine.” Cisco said waving away her concern. “What do the results say?”

“The blood that Ramsey has is infected, he’s got dark matter imbued within his cells and its corrupting him. The more undead he makes, the more corrupted he gets, therefore the only way to counter it is with positive matter. Usually I’d suggest Barry, but he’s with Ramsey.” Caitlin said.

“So, what do we do?” Cisco asked, though a voice in the back of his head whispered.  _ You already know what you need to do, Francisco. _

“I’m not sure. Frost isn’t going to be of much help here. Her particles aren’t the same as The Flash’s.” Caitlin replied.

Cisco felt the migraine intensify, and he knew he had to do something. “I think I might have a solution. Do you mind texting Iris.”

“Sure.” Caitlin replied, she took his phone from the counter and started typing out a message, once it had been sent, she asked. “What’s your solution?”

Cisco took a deep breath, put his left hand out in front of himself and closed his eyes, when he heard Caitlin gasp he knew it had succeeded. “This.”

“I thought the serum was supposed to take away your power?” Caitlin asked.

“So did I.” Cisco said. “But clearly it didn’t work on me.”

“I… how long have you known?” Caitlin asked.

“Just now. I’ve been having headaches for the past few months ever since I took the thing. At first I thought it was a side effect, but then that incident with Gypsy happened and well, I think I suspected from there.” Cisco said.

He expected a lecture or something else from Caitlin, he knew he’d likely have gotten that from Kamila, but instead she asked. “Are you ready to do this again?”

“We have to. We need Barry back.” Cisco said.

“Okay.” Caitlin replied. 

Cisco was about to say something else when Iris appeared. “You got here quickly.” He said.

“I drove through a lot of red lights to get here. I saw the chaos on the news and knew that most people would be trying to leave or staying indoors. And I saw Barry, he's ...” Iris trailed off then.

“We’ve got a solution.” Cisco said. He looked at Caitlin who nodded. 

“What’s the solution?” Iris asked.

“This.” Cisco replied, sending a blast of energy out into the hallway.

“Your powers are back?” Iris exclaimed.

“Yes, don’t ask how, I don’t know how.” Cisco said, though he made a promise to himself to confront the Monitor about this when he got a chance. “But well, Caitlin can explain it better than me.”

Cisco saw Iris turn toward Caitlin. “Essentially, the blood that’s infected Barry is filled with dark matter or anti-matter, as such it requires positive matter to drive out. Cisco’s vibes are filled with it. One hit from there and we should have Barry back.”

Iris turned toward him then and asked. “Will you be able to hit him?”

“I think so. We’ve got to try. And then when he’s back we can deal with Bloodwork.” Cisco said.

There was a brief pause as all sorts of thoughts flickered over Iris’s face. Eventually she gave her consent. “Okay, let’s do this.”

**Author's Note:**

> This week's episode was insanely good, so it inspired me to write. If you'd like to see a follow up to this please let me know!


End file.
